For a Broken Carrier to become a True Carrier, he had to find a donor while the energy in his body was at its peak, which only happened for two years, from the ages of 16 to 18.
Those who knew about this method simply had to kill the donor, thereby becoming True Carriers themselves. Ethan was going to do the same, but his situation with Menir was far from standard.
They did not consume each other, but copied parts of themselves, and to complete their union, both sides had to come to an agreement. Their Circles, reflecting their nature, spoke for them, and now they had to fulfill the last condition.
"So, now we have to kill two First Rank Carriers?" Menir muttered, following Ethan to his house.
Ethan shrugged.
"Weren't we going to do that anyway? Don't panic. This is the best time to get rid of Konrad and Black Horn."
"Yes, but... we don't have enough firepower."
"Don't worry. I've thought about it. Right now, the most important thing is to get home and clean ourselves up."
Crash.
The door closed, but no sooner had they reached the bed than heavy footsteps echoed behind their back. It was dawn, so it was time for their last night's guest to arrive.
As he said, Konrad came to them early in the morning, eager to ambush Black Horn, or rather to take advantage of the whole situation.
This was bad.
If Konrad saw their dusty clothes and exhausted eyes, he might suspect something.
Before Ethan could understand anything, Menir pounced on him and they both ended up on the couch.
Menir took off her top, baring her bosom when Konrad entered their house and saw the unexpected scene.
"Oh... Looks like I'm not in the right place at the right time," Konrad grinned, looking at Menir's bare back.
Everything happened too fast for Ethan to come up with a plan, but this wasn't the first time he had to improvise.
"Yeah, give us five, no... fifteen minutes. Otherwise, I won't be able to think about anything but this ass!" Ethan grinned as he squeezed Menir's butt.
"Hahaha, you young people are all the same. Stupid and hot."
Then, Konrad's expression suddenly turned cold.
"Five minutes. I'll be back in five minutes. We have a serious talk to have, enough of these games!"
Bang.
The door slammed shut as Konrad's figure disappeared around the corner.
Without hesitation, Ethan jumped off the couch, intending to wash his face and do everything he could to look fresh, which was not easy considering he hadn't slept all night. He didn't know what he feared more, that Konrad would expose them or Menir's wrath for what he did.
'Hmm,' Menir hummed. 'I couldn't have adapted so quickly. Maybe he went a little overboard, but he played it perfectly.'
Exactly five minutes later, Konrad was sitting across from Menir and Ethan. Thanks to their little trick, they seemed like they had just woken up and were fresh.
"So, let's get down to business. Are you willing to ambush Black Horn and be the center of it?"
"Yes. How many people will there be?" Ethan asked sharply. "I don't doubt your strength, but this is Black Horn, and he probably won't come alone, thinking that we found the Essence of Rotten Forest."
Menir narrowed her eyes.
"Moreover, how will you convince him to come there?"
"Oh, I see you're ready."
Konrad grinned predatorily.
"Don't worry. I have my people among his ranks. Tonight, it will happen at the northern pillar. My people and I will be there before Black Horn."
Then, Konrad handed Ethan a small pouch.
Ethan looked inside to see a red grenade.
"An artifact?" Ethan raised an eyebrow.
Konrad shook his head.
"Hah, I can see right away that you two are weak Carriers, or rather, novices. This is a Product. To put it simply, it's a single-use artifact. Well, some Products don't contain energy, but they're not much different from simple tools."
Ethan tossed up the grenade.
[Scarlet Flash
Circle: First
A small grenade containing an explosive charge with toxic red smoke inside. Especially effective against creatures capable of hiding their presence, since tiny needles in the smoke pierce the body, becoming beacons.
Products were not as rare and unique as Artifacts, and finding and creating them was much easier than Artifacts, but that did not mean they were less useful. Some Products could possess great power, even if only once.
For a good price, some forges could create Products in fairly large quantities. The army had entire factories for creating the most necessary Products, which, as the name suggests, could be made according to recipes in unlimited quantities as long as there were enough resources.
After a few moments, Ethan glanced at Konrad.
"So, what do you want me to do with this... Product?"
Konrad spread his arms wide.
"As soon as Black Horn is in front of you, you must throw it at him. Nothing else. The smoke screen will help you hide. It may affect you too, but you will be safe.
"Black Horn will be disoriented, and when the grenade explodes, you will run to safety, and we will attack him. When Black Horn is finished, you will receive your reward, and if necessary, I can help you join the army."
Ethan and Menir exchanged glances.
"Good. That's what I wanted to hear."
Crack.
Konrad left in his usual manner.
Now, it was time for real thoughts, not fake smiles.
"I see," Ethan muttered, staring at the grenade. "So this thing is going to kill us."
Menir nodded in confirmation.
"Not right away, but the smoke will leave a trail. Konrad probably wants to get rid of Black Horn first and then us. We won't be able to escape under the grenade's effect."
Ethan smirked.
"I never thought I'd say this, but it's good to have such a cunning and hypocritical enemy."
They didn't wait until noon because they had a plan.
The two of them couldn't take on Konrad and Black Horn alone. After all, they were just two Broken Carriers.
But... What if there were four of them?
The sun was still high in the sky when two figures emerged from the forest, this time led by Menir, who knew exactly where to go.
The two silhouettes by the tent turned around, preparing to light a fire for the deer lying nearby.
Koros and Diatra looked at each other in confusion. They hadn't expected to see Ethan and Menir so early, as they had agreed to meet in a few days.
"Hello."
Ethan waved his hand as he stepped forward.
"How about another team? I'm afraid this time we won't be hunting monsters. Hah!"